Juba regrets U.S. call to severe ties with Sudanese rebels

October 21, 2016 (JUBA) - South Sudan’s government under the leadership of President Salva Kiir on Friday said it regretted a statement by the United States (U.S.) that Juba was continuing to harbour and provide assistances to Sudanese rebels fighting against Khartoum’s government.

Soldiers from the South Sudanese army (SPLA) assembled in the capital, Juba on 8 January 2014 (Photo: Mehmet Kemal Firik/Anadolu Agency/Getty)

Senior government’s officials including the Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs and the Minister of Defence described the statement by the United States as “unfortunate”, saying it could undermine current efforts to resolve security matters in the young country.

“This is unfortunate and we will ask clarification from relevant institutions through diplomatic channels. It undermines the current efforts to handle such matters. There are already mechanisms through which such allegations could be addressed and the United States is one of the players we expect to play a positive role,” Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs, Tut Kew Gatluak, told Sudan Tribune on Friday.

While the Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs, Gatluak, did not deny or confirm the existence of the Sudanese rebels inside South Sudan and whether the government provides any support them, the Defence Minister, Kuol Manyang Juuk, admitted the Sudanese rebels were being harboured in the country in the past, but added that the government had already ordered them to leave the country or handover their guns and go to refugee camps set up in the country.

“It is not true. There are no Sudanese rebels in the republic of South Sudan. We have ordered them to leave South Sudan and go back to Sudan or hand over their weapons and go to refugee camps,” minister Juuk said in a separate interview with the Sudan Tribune.

“If they agree to go to the refugee camps, we will collect the guns and call Sudan to inspect them and hand them over because we would not need” the firearms,” he added.

His statement implies that the country was still hosting Sudanese rebels and was now in talks with them to either leave the country or go into refugee camps. Such assistance, according to the statement of the United States, places South Sudan in violation of a United Nations Security Council resolution as well as numerous agreements between Juba and Khartoum.

Aid to Sudanese rebels also violates the internal peace agreement signed last year by President Salva Kiir. The U.S. statement indicates that Sudanese armed groups remain involved in conflicts inside South Sudan.

“The presence of Sudanese armed opposition forces in South Sudan, and their involvement in South Sudan’s internal conflicts, destabilises both Sudan and South Sudan,” the U.S. State Department spokesperson said in a statement Sudan Tribune obtained on Thursday.

“We call on the government of the Republic of South Sudan to ensure Sudanese armed opposition groups are not in a position to conduct armed operations within South Sudan or across the border in Sudan,” the statement added.

The Thursday’s statement highlights the Obama administration’s growing estrangement from President Kiir’s government as well as signs of reconciliation between Washington and Khartoum.

The State Department said last month that the U.S. “welcomes Sudan’s recent efforts to increase counterterrorism cooperation with the United States.”

The U.S. said at the time that Sudan’s government has sought to prevent the movement of Islamic State members into and through its territory. “Subject to and consistent with? US law, we will work cooperatively with the government of Sudan on counterterrorism to enhance the security of both our countries,” the State Department announced on 20 September.

Observers in South Sudan are keen to emphasize that the statement by US is a move designed to put pressure on the government of South Sudan to accept deployment of regional protection force and implement the 2015 peace agreement it signed with the armed opposition leader, Riek Machar.

The government of South Sudan has been always accused by the Sudan, various observer groups and armed oppositions of harbouring Sudanese rebels and in fact letting them fight alongside its own force. The government in Juba has always denied the accusations.

(ST)

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Kind regards,

The Sudan Tribune editorial team.

21 October 2016 21:08, by Naath

Murderous, looters, tribalists, war criminals and rapists in Juba thought what they do in darkest will not appear in broad daylight. They have been using Ugandan, Rwandese, and Burundi armies as well as Sudanese and Congolese rebels against SPLA-IO for 4 years now. The world is watching at your idiotic and murderous plans against innocent civilians.

There is concrete evidence that many JEM hirelings and mercenaries have bases in South Sudan. Over 4,000 of them have been officially merged into the SPLA and you can tell many of them in uniforms along Bilpam road to Munuki. They don’t look like Junubin. Our colleagues in the army have confirmed that. Kiir is a liar and the US should not trust him at all.

Sudan Tribune, how much do you pay this fake editor? The editor love Propaganda specialist mr. Jmes Gadet Dak, why twisting the statement from Kuol Manyang? You will accept the govt that you are refusing.

Tut Kew Gatluak and Manyang Juuk should stop playing the famous SPLA game of deceit; let SPLA-N and JEM forces leave South Sudan. Let the M-23 rebels mascarading as UPDF leave so that Kiir and Malong are left to wage the war they love more than implementing peace with their enemies!

Eastern,i can,t talk of other rebels but SPLM-N,i had telling you several times to indicate the location of SPLM-N in South Sudan but you failed which show that you are not in South Sudan,we were in South Sudan before,we liberated it,now there is no need to be there while we have our own problem,this administration of Obama is very sick and weak to solve single problem in the world.

south Sudan government and even north Sudan government should know USA is after it business of creating wars they when fell out with one group. america is just like a prostitute operate between two men. both south and north should watch out. they shouldn’t let themselves by fool by evil unite state. example is Philippine, they used to be close ally of america but have now abandoned them.

Dear all:
While in Khartoum last time, Taban Deng Gai made it absolutely clear in front of all international media houses that South Sudan would evict all North Sudanese rebels from its territory within 21 days. Read the state of Kuol Manyang. This is a clear admission.

Others are celebrating what the do not know it outcome.
NB:Sudan has been sponsoring rebellion after rebellion in South Sudan only for South Sudan to forge agreement that will leads to solving of many rebellions in Sudan and few tribal rebellion in South Sudan, the wants a Chad-Sudan’s type of agreement, if that was to be the case,Riak and his war machine will be dead!Look at Chad-Sudan relations.

Why USA didn’t ask about the presence of Riek and Gadet groups in Khartoum?Riek declared war against South Sudan government inside Khartoum no body was concerning about that,we have evident show Olony under command of Riek is training his militants inside Sudan like Liri,Abujubai,Kosti areas,now mobilizing Southerners in Khartoum to go for military training to fight S.S.gvt.

Con,nothing can stop us form achieving our goal/objectives Sudan must change and we have to liberated it even if took 100s years ,USA struggling to got freedom in 1776,why the block other revolutionaries groups,we know many Westerns like USA and British are against S.Sudan government and SPLM-N coz of certain interest but all that will not work.
Son of Nuba

I hope you realise that it was Khartoum that initiated support for rebels across ths Greater Sudan border years before Juba reciprocated. Khartoum supported at least three [3] different rebel groups in South Sudan in 2009 before we responded in kind in 2011. Sudan still occupies Kafia Kingi against international law, so spare us such nonsense...

The imbeciles in Juba all deserve to be forced to face the wall and shot for being so unforgivably soft with Khartoum. Instead of laying the ground work politically, economically and militarily to reclaim the Nation size territories that Khartoum occupies, the idiots spark a devastating civil war that further weakens them.

Here at least USA has gone back to its integrity. A spade is being called a spade instead of blaming SPLA/IO for war mongering while they are actually defending themselves from the aggression of Jieng soldiers!! Support peoples’ resistance movement the blesses USA.

USA is using the politics that the loose rebels will not understand, USA is just trying to fool Khartoum to cooperation and give them information about Islamic state as Khartoum is well connected with his Arabs brothers. Fools when will you understand the world. If this agreement is implemented you will feel it at your ass, do you think Bashir will leave you, idiots

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